The Dragon in its Backyard:The Chinese Question in Central Asia

Resumo

This article aims to analyze the behavior of China as a regional power by applying it to the specific case of Central Asia. The central argument is that Beijing is trying to boost economic, political and military ties with the Central Asian Republics, although its soft power is still very ineffective in the region. Moreover, the Chinese regional ambitions are often viewed with suspicion by neighboring Central Asian countries, which still see Russia as a great economic, military and cultural reference, givenits long Soviet past.